Adventures In Nebraska

800 miles, 15 hours, 4 states….yep, I’m crazy! Our adventures in Nebraska were so much fun, but I think I’m still trying to recover from the car drive. As I’ve mentioned before, there is no easy way to get to rural Western Nebraska. Driving made the most sense for us, and thanks to your suggestions, Peyton did amazing in the car!
We decided to leave before the crack of dawn, and were in the car by 4am, with Peyton in her pajamas sound asleep. Peyton slept plenty along the way, and when she was awake, I sat in the back to entertain her. Imagine being sandwiched between a massive car seat and a 70lb dog! We worked on drawing and putting stickers on paper (exercises that are helping Peyton’s development), read books and watched plenty of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And for those of you who suggested a box of band-aids for entertainment–thank you! That simple tin of band-aids kept P busy for a solid 30 minutes!!!
The beauty of taking a long drive is finding time to experience new things. The first thing we did when we finally made it to the Nebraska, was stop for lunch at Runza. It’s a Nebraska staple–a fast food joint known for cabbage burgers. Sounds strange, but they are delicious and Peyton absolutely loved it! And to break up our long drive, we made a point to visit some old friends. We stopped in Kearney (Central Nebraska) for a quick play date with my old co-anchor, Marylyn Barnett, from my television days at NTV. It’s been 10 years since I worked in Nebraska, but we always pick up where we left off!
15 long hours later, we arrived in Western Nebraska. Ryan’s parents live in the rural country, which was the perfect setting for Peyton to explore so many new things. She sat on a John Deer tractor, met horses and ran through sprinklers. She even caught a toad, which showed us that she’s not afraid of anything! (Not to worry—the toad is healthy and was released back to the wild) And her favorite part? Having a wide open space to run around. Peyton spent hours playing in the dirt and rocks, just roaming around, so proud of her newfound freedom. And we had a blast watching our little girl see things for the first time.
But the main reason for getting out to Nebraska was to see family. Peyton finally got to meet her 97-year-old great grandmother. Ryan has always been very close to her, stopping by to visit daily when he used to live in town. So, we were thrilled for her to see Peyton and visit with her in the nursing home. What a special moment! P also got to meet her cousin, Emma, who is almost exactly a year younger. This trip was so symbolic of how far Peyton has come. Just a year ago, we weren’t sure when we would ever be able to travel with her. She was so small and her immune system very weak. Boy, what a difference a year makes! And spending a week in Nebraska makes me so grateful for the family we have. The memories we made with Mr. Skry’s family were so special and we hope to make that trip a yearly tradition. Take  a look below for pictures from our Nebraska Adventure!
This next week is a busy one as Miss P turns two tomorrow. My family will be in town from California to celebrate and we have a big birthday bash for Peyton this weekend. It’s also an emotional time for me, as the tears have been flowing for days leading up to this week. While we celebrate Peyton, we’ll also take time to honor and remember Parker and Abby, two of our triplets in Heaven. I have no doubt, that they will be eating cake and celebrating alongside us!
To see more pictures and updates, follow Stacey on Facebook, Click the link and “LIKE” the page: Stacey’s Facebook Page